JVC NXPN7 Portable Audio System with Dual iPod Dock
There's a saying that 2 is better than 1. When 2 can get together it's special. The new JVC NX-PN7 clock radio is very special. It accommodates two iPod players side-by side with its integrated dual-dock technology, charging them simultaneously and offering playback from each through the dock's speaker system. Supplementing iPod playback is an AM/FM tuner, and adding to the unit's versatility is a clock and timer. In addition, there's an analog audio input for connecting other devices for playback. Though the NX-PN7 handles two iPod players, it measures a mere 13 inches wide. It features sleek and sophisticated styling, with a black cabinet and speaker grille, and controls arrayed clearly and logically in a band along the bottom. Adding a bit of flair are two illuminated strips, one under each docked iPod. These can display one of nine colors - including white, blue, red and others. The included remote control features dedicated iPod control keys that simulate the iPod control wheel layout, so users are able to easily shuffle, repeat, scroll and select songs from the iPod menu. Back illuminated LCD Analog audio input lets you add other MP3 players if you don't have an iPod Remote Control (also controls iPod when docked) iPod Play Mode - Shuffle / Repeat Also works with iPhone Unit Dimensions (WxHxD) inches - 12 9/16 x 5 7/8 x 6 1/8; Weight - 5.8 lbs
JVC NXPN7 Portable Audio System with Dual iPod Dock Accessories
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JVC NXPN7 Portable Audio System with Dual iPod Dock Reviews
and that the remote is a cheesy "chicklet" type. I did. My wife has a 1G 16GB iPhone that she carrys in a leather belt holster. The different colored lights are somewhat useful because it shows us clearly which dock port to use for each of our phones (hers in the case and my 3G outside of the case). Would I buy again.
The sound is reasonable for a clock radio. Nothing else we found would let her dock the phone without removing the phone from the case. Which brings me to my first complaint: for the price this should include a full compliment of dock adapters for the various iPods and iPhones. I'm dissappointed that a lot of the functions have to be operated from the remote (sleep timer). Well, this one does: just leave the adapter out and cram the phone down into the dock.
I got a second one for our second bedroom in the house.
This is something that is very wonderful for individuals with 2 ipods. Other companies need to make more.
but with crappy remote and brightness issue, I give it only 2.5 or 3 stars. It would be cool if they would work like the color organ lights of the 60's and 70's.throbbing in sync to magical mystery tour music, but they don't. They have doors to cover the dock when not in use which is a nice touch. I'm an engineer. 4) The time clock, and the AM radio. And, the best thing.
Complaints:. It should be red. Great main unit JVC, so why did you stop when it came to the remote. it has two docks. I have several complaints. Nice radio though. so you wake up with ipods not charged. Fix the display brightness problem, make a new remote, and I will overlook the useless lights and AM radio/clock issue.
It does that. 2) The remote was obviously created by a retarded chimp throwing darts at a chalkboard. 3) I have yet to find a use for the colored lights. They just sort of sit there. The folks at JVC messed this up greatly; next time JVC, you can hire my cat. I would have given this 4.5 stars.
Again, dumb dumb dumb. make the remote double as a bong, and you'd really have something. doing nothing. That sucks.
hard to tell the AM radio from the clock display, because they both have "AM" in them. she can do better than your dart-tossing monkey. They're useless. JVC managers shot the engineer too soon on this product. you can turn off the display (ECO mode) sort of, but then, the ipod charging quits too. 1) Bright display is too bright at night. yes and no. Wrong color too.
I know, because I've done it myself in commercial products which I've designed. I bought this for the purpose of having a nice alarm clock and charging station for my iphone and ipod touch. Too bad the remote stinks. On the plus side, the sound is great for a bedside radio.
The locations of the buttons make no sense whatsoever (ZIPPO)., and there is an ipod looking silkscreen on the front of the membrane of the remote, made to simulate and look like an ipod, but it doesn't behave at all like an ipod. I would make them pulsate to the music. the aux input is nice (I have an ipod shuffle too).
Do I like this product. There is not a good reason why the display couldn't be fixed. Most of the functionality is built into the remote.
Docks are nice. It could have been so much better; still could be saved. JVC designers didn't do a very good job on several area's, although the overall look, sound, and dual nature is fantastic.
And when it comes to clock/alarm integration with the iPod, there are some real problems. The remote is where we start running into the fatal flaws of this unit. But its reliance on the poorly designed remote kills this unit dead. Sadly, JVC made the choice to have some functions - almost all functions, actually, accessible only from the remote. I would compare the sound quality to a $20-$30 set of computer speakers.
Up to three alarms can be set, each with its own setting of daily, everyday or weekday. While this sounds great, it falls a little short of what it could have been, since having 5 or even 10 alarms would have been just as easy, but added a lot of flexibility to those with more complicated schedules. But for a bedroom system where high audio quality isn't a necessity, this unit is just fine. The alarm on the iPod will not wake the JVC - only the JVC can wake the iPod. It does have a bass enhancement feature, but I found that this decreased audio quality. Though not removable, the power cord is plenty long from both plug to brick and brick to unit, so hiding the brick somewhere shouldn't be too much trouble for most. While I can say that my basic needs were met with this, I can't give it a ringing endorsement for a number of reasons. But if you want to wake to a particular song on the iPod you'll have to leave that song playing on the iPod or set the alarm on the iPod seperately to have it play.
When an iPod is used as an alarm, the unit wakes and presses "play" for you, then fades the music in from 0 to whatever volume is set under the alarm function (nice detail, that - you don't have to wake to the same volume that you last used). Very cheap feeling with almost no tactile response. This makes sense, but is somewhat complicated for those that like to wake to particular music. Not what I'd expect at this price, but no different than most clock radios.
The power cords do not detach from the unit, so that means I have to have the power brick hidden behind the unit on the bookshelf. For example, the alarm function does not work when the unit is left "on" at night. To add insult to injury, JVC decided that of the limited buttons on the unit itself, one of them is dedicated to the color LEDs, which is just stupid. The JVC Dual Dock is a fairly compact unit, and the overall quality is fine. The one real downside of the design of the JVC Dual Dock is the power brick; it is absolutely huge. The buttons are the sealed sort - all under a common piece of plastic. Bigger than I've seen for almost any electronic device ever. I'm irked that one of the few buttons on the unit is dedicated to the rather silly and pointless color LED function, but I can't weight that too heavily in the review.
The radio has good reception with the two included antenna (one FM and one AM). I bought this because I wanted to reduce the clutter of multiple chargers and cords and docks, and I wanted the convenience of a set of powered speakers for my iPhone 3G and clock radio all in one. And each can be set with its own source for alarm, iPod (#1 or #2) or radio. Philosophically I have a big problem with this, since remotes can be lost or broken and then you're left with a big expensive paperweight. The buttons are clearly labeled and simple to operate, which is nice for those features that can be accessed with the buttons on the unit (more about that later). The clock features are just a little better than your average $20 clock radio. All functions are handled through a small, one line monochrome LCD on the unit.
Half the time or more, the buttons don't even respond, which makes setting alarms or tuning the radio station incredibly tedious and frustrating. The interface is done through hierarchical menus that, once you understand, are fairly easy to navigate. Of course, you can just leave the JVC unit on and set the iPod itself to be the alarm, but this would only work with one of the iPods because the source would have to be set the night before. So if you like to listen to your iPod when you're drifting off to sleep, and like to wake to the radio, you can't do it unless you take extra care to set up the sleep timer on the clock radio.
The sound quality is adequate. But before I get into those reasons, a quick basic overview;. This is pretty handy for couples, for instance, who have separate wakeup times (which I imagine is the primary audience for this device). So overall the unit is pretty good at providing an easy way to get rid of clutter and bring iPod music into the bedroom, and it throws in some nice clock features.
The glossy finish does come off as a bit cheap actually, but overall the unit is handsome. Maybe that won't matter for some folks, but in my case I put the unit on my bookshelf and am not able to put the power brick on the floor because I have to run the cable through the back of the bookcase. Until that is fixed I would not recommend anyone buy this at any price. But what's most egregious is that the remote is one of the worst remotes I've ever used.
And speaking of price this should be closer to $80-$90, better reflecting the value of a $20 clock radio combined with a $20 set of speakers with a pair of $30 docks. But there is nothing graphical to suggest that the menus are hierarchical, so it does take a bit of practice to understand exactly what is going on, especially when setting alarms.
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